Sorrow.

The Attribute spelled the nature of the being. It did not attack, nor did it scream. The Still Unborn huddled around her knees, their cries of anguish subsiding in the presence of their mothers – the Still Unmoved.

Their mouths curved into peaceful smiles. But behind those curves was a well of palpable sadness that Red could not help but to solemnly watch.

“How do I do this? If I kill it, then there’s no telling what the repercussions will be.” Red and her army of Rock Bugs created enough distance where she’d be able to react if something went awry. “All of the little worms are gathering to it instead of me. I guess that’s a good thing, right?”

She scanned her surroundings further. Crimson sinew hung from each tree like the webs of a spider nest, further playing into the insect-theme of this cavern. Her eyes trailed along, searching for something – anything out of the norm.

Though this was impossible when everything already was abnormal.

“Right…?”

Three turned to five. Five to eight. And eight…

“Tch – What’s happening now!?”

… When the tenth Still Unborn waddled into its loose embrace, a blinding light shone from the centre of the Still Unmoved’s bare chest. It transformed into a small whisp with a trailing tail of light, and to her shock – it was hurled towards her.

“I knew it – It was a trap –!”

Her body was enveloped by the light. She expected to be incinerated. To be brought down onto her knees. Her orifices to bleed. But instead, as she covered her eyes with her arms, she realized that none of this had happened.

Rather than injury, the wounds that had riddled her body were slowly being healed.

“Or not…?”

Perplexity could not even begin to describe how she felt. By the time her arms had dropped from her face, the Still Unborn had disappeared as a content smile formed on the face of the Still Unmoved.

“I think… Agate, I think that’s supposed to be their mother.”

Still Unmoved

< Observation Level 1 >

< The Still Unmoved will heal the designated ‘Hungriest’ to full HP when exactly ten Still Unborn are allowed to drink from its holy milk >

Whilst pondering on this a prompt suddenly appeared before her.

< Temporary Ability Gained >

< Temporary Abilities will be removed when the ordeal is over or when you are no longer under the influence of this place >

< ABILITY: Hungriest >

< Power is the will to reject instinct when driven mad by its siren call >

< The Still Unmoved will thank you for sparing their children despite your overwhelming instinct. Do not let them be eaten >

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“Instinct and hunger…”

Red could only make the connection of the two going hand in hand. To reject hunger was to reject instinct. For Red, to reject instinct was to reject conflict. So in this instance, she realized that her ‘hunger’ was more of a metaphor for ‘violence’.

Was she being told a lesson? Was this thing trying to teach her something? Red didn’t know. All she knew was that the Still Unmoved was happy that she did not kill the Still Unborn in her presence.

However, as more of the Still Unborn oozed from the pores of the cavern walls –

“Of course something just has to show up when things were getting easier!”

– A five-legged spider descended from a pore in the ceiling. Sinew strands held each limb like that of a puppet as it landed on the Still Unmoved, its calloused, bony fingers violating its wings as if to punish it for healing Red.

Still Hungry

ATTRIBUTE : Sorrow

LEVEL: 15 ORIGIN : Trauma

HP : 1,500

ATT : 350 MAG ATT : 0

AGI : 25

Were it not for the space between her and the Still Unmoved then she would have been impaled by those legs. Fingers better described its legs now that she had a closer look. Its body was even shaped like that of a palm, and yet it skittered around like a spider.

But it did not come for her first.

Contrary to the showdown she expected against her strongest foe yet – it ran towards the Still Unborn, impaling them one by one before it feasted upon their carcasses like skewered meat.

Red had no intention of stopping it. Her instincts demanded that she continue forth. But something about the Still Unmoved captivated her. The blue eyes of the entity stared back in sorrow when her Rock Bugs began to move past her. Then, she dejectedly stared down at her broken wings, a light forming on her chest as tears tumbled down her cheeks.

It was not Red who was healed this time.

Instead, it was the Still Hungry who received the healing of the Still Unmoved, who wept in perpetuity.

Still Unmoved

< Observation Level 2 >

< The Still Unmoved will heal the Still Hungry and associated entities to full HP when exactly ten Still Unborn are used to sate their unending hunger >

“… Why should I have to help a monster?” Red asked herself as Rockie Grey came to a complete stop beside the woman. “Why should I help something that can’t help itself?”

Rockie Grey shook its body as if annoyed by her. Red didn’t know it herself, but she could not tear her eyes away from the woman despite her words. Just like with Rockie, she ended up overstaying her welcome.

“Tch. I hate this… I hate that I can see a part of myself in you. You want to help them. I just want to survive. But if I really did then I wouldn’t have wasted my time on Rockie. I know why too. It’s because I know what it’s like to be you.”

Red was no stranger to exploitation. As a captive Corrupted she had endured endless experimentations until she was boarded onto the train. By some miracle her wish to live had come true.

If I could express myself the way I can now, then would I have made the same face as her?

The solemn thought kept her locked in place. Even if she wanted to leave, Rockie would not allow her to. Her instincts caused her veins to burst, begging her to leave in the face of near certain death.

… Instinct. Will I become something like that thing if I only choose to fight? That can’t be. I have to fight if I want to survive. People that can’t fight are as good as dead…

… isn’t that what it means to be alive?

“I don’t get you. Why can’t you struggle?”

Red knew the answer to this already because she too was inflicted by the same stagnation that trapped her when she was once a Corrupted. Speaking to this thing was no better than talking to a rock, but even so, it was a way for Red to vent.

“Why can’t you stand up and protect them yourself!? Even if you’re like this you can’t just sit there and watch that thing take your children away from you!”

An unnatural surge of wrath rushed through her veins. The cries of the Still Unborn only fueled her unnatural rage. She did not know what came over her. Only that it was sudden and swift, as though the emotions of the Still Unmoved were influencing her…

… Red stared at the blue shimmer ahead. If this cavern was anything to go by, then the Still Hungry was telling of the things to come. And so, she realized that she needed their healing powers. Whether it was a way to justify helping the Still Unmoved or not was unknown to her.

All that she knew was that she absolutely needed to destroy the Still Hungry.

The tip of the Hunt Must Go On – her serrated hunting blade – glowed a slight tinge of red as if to reflect her anger. The Rock Bugs were rallied by her infectious fury.

“I need that healing, so I’m going to take it all for myself. I’ll show you just what kind of hunger the legendary Hatchling Red has compared to an oversized insect on strings!”

And against her instincts – she bared her fangs against the two-meter-tall spider with only a probiscis spear and her vengeful blade in hand.